The oven is one of the most unpopular appliances when it comes to cleaning. Over the decades, as busy cooks have struggled with it, many home remedies have been developed that are sometimes more sometimes less good at tackling the baked-on dirt. We have compiled an overview of these home remedies here.
Cleaning without chemicals
When using home remedies, the aim is often to clean without chemicals. With many simple home remedies, this is a given because they are foods from your household. At the same time, each of the home remedies has a slightly different target group when it comes to soiling. Burnt-on food is better removed with baking soda and greasy residue responds well to vinegar, for example.
- Vinegar / Citric acid
- Baking powder
- Soda / Baking soda
- Salt
Simple soiling
If greasy stains have not yet burned into the oven, they can be ideally removed with vinegar or citric acid. In any case, you should wear gloves when doing this work. Soak a microfiber cloth with vinegar and place it on the greasy dirt for a moment. You will need to rub a bit more on the sides of the oven, as the vinegar will take a moment to dissolve the grease.
Slightly burnt-on food residue or splatters work well with baking soda. To do this, mix the baking soda with a little water. Then apply it to the dirt and leave it on for about half an hour.
Wiping up
Just as you don’t want a chemical aftertaste from professional cleaners in your oven, you certainly don’t want a vinegar taste in your food. Therefore, with the various home remedies, it is important to wipe the oven thoroughly afterwards with a clean damp cloth. Therefore, you should always rinse a microfiber cloth with clean water and wipe the surfaces with it several times.
Heavier soiling – burnt-in grease
For heavier soiling, which may already be burnt in, use soda. From the soda powder can be made with some water a lye, which you can fill in a spray bottle. Of course, you can also apply the soda lye to the dirt with a sponge or cloth. Soda also needs to soak in for about half an hour, and you should be sure to wear gloves for this as well.
Puddling
If the cream sauce has boiled over or the casserole has left a puddle on the bottom of the oven, regular table salt works very well. Sprinkle this onto the damp spills. If the food residues have already dried, you can moisten them a little first so that the salt can take effect. After sprinkling with salt, set the oven to the highest temperature for at least half an hour. After that, you can simply wipe out the protection.
Tips & Tricks
Pyrolysis also makes it easier to clean the oven. This process also does not use chemicals. However, ovens that have this cleaning function cost significantly more than normal ovens. In return, burning the dirt also eliminates much of the cleaning.
Elizabeth Green
Elizabeth Green is a seasoned home chef and culinary expert who has a passion for all things kitchen-related. With her extensive knowledge of the latest kitchen products and appliances, Elizabeth provides insightful reviews and recommendations to help consumers make informed purchasing decisions. Whether you're looking for a new refrigerator, blender, or cookware set, Elizabeth is your guide to finding the best kitchen products available in the UK.
